A US-based investor in data-led firms has made its first investment outside of its home country in London-headquartered strategic comms agency Williams Nicolson.
Next Practices Group (NPG) said the UK agency set up in January 2021 shared a “passion for using data analytics, communications and technologies to address client needs.”
Williams Nicolson was co-founded by Louise Nicolson and Steffan Williams and now stands at 17 people.
Nicolson is a former business journalist whose first book The Entrepreneurial Myth made it to the top ten of bestseller lists.
Williams founded his own PR agency in 2001, which he sold to Publicis in 2013, and is renowned as one of London’s best-connected flacks and advisors.
The Austin, Texas-based Bob Pearson, Chair of NPG, said “NPG helps talented founders flourish. We are a team of 275 people known for creating new models, disrupting old ones and being intensely dissatisfied with the status quo.
“Williams Nicolson has built a remarkable business that combines powerful data insights, with world class counsel, to unlock client potential. Their combination of strategy and technology is exactly what we were looking for.”
Louise Nicolson, Co-Founder of Williams Nicolson, said: “We quickly realised NPG’s approach to fostering growth and unlocking innovation is very special. We’ve worked alongside our new colleagues since last year and already experienced significant benefits. Our teams are collaborating to deliver international campaigns and build brand new data platforms to help our clients develop and defend their reputations.
“This partnership will be a catalyst for scale and opportunity, and we can’t wait for what’s to come.”
The move comes amid a wave of consolidation and M&A activity amongst the UK’s communications and strategic advisory agencies.